Fire-fighting appliance



-July 9, 1929. J. T. MULROY 1.720.427

FIRE FIGHTING APPLIANCE I Filed March 7, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 S GD e 2f 29 27% l M 5 25 @p1 ra, 01-'. .,J

f ff -/jf 24 ff e A. m5 /0 23 Z! if 7 Patented July 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES JOHN T. M'LROY, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

FIRE-FIGHTING* APPLANCE. y

Application filed March 7, 1927. Serial No. 173,547.

rlhis invention is an appliance adapted to be associated with a lire hose, to be used more particularly in the lighting of lires in buildings. -Under the present method of lighting lires, it is the practice for liremen to carry a hose with an attached nozzle up a ladder to the window of the room or licor where the lire is in progress and stand upon the ladder at the window and direct the stream ot water into the burning building. This is a very hazardous undertakingl in many cases as flames and smoke not intro quently exit through the window at which the h'remen are stationed causing them to be overcome and in many instances seriously injured.

lttrequently occurs, moreover, 'that where the heat from the lire is intense and the firemen cannot gain access to the window vby ladders, water towers are used. or a stream. oit water is directed by iiremen stationed in the street, or in adjoining buildings. lVhen a stream of' water is directed through a window from a distance., the stream within the building is localized and that proper distribution oi' the water throughout the enclosure is not obtained.

lt is found that the best results in theextinguishing. ot lire within an enclosure are obtained by producing a maximum distribution of the water throughout the enclo-` sure and Lfor this reason firemen man 'the hose from window sills wherever circumstances will permit.

lWith these considerations in mind, the object of the present invention to provide a device which may be attached to a window sill in an expeditious and simple manner by iii-einen and which after attaclunent may be lett in place on the window sill to t'eeda stream of water with maximum distribution into an enclosure while the firemen withdraw from the danger zone leavingthe apparatus to automatically function.

Speaking generally, the invention embodies a lire hose nozzle mounted. lfor oscillation upon a suitable support and adapted to be oscillated by a stream oit' water ted through a hose to the nozzle so that, as the water .issues from the nozzle, the nozzle will be oscillated to point in constantly varying directions in order to give'a .maximum distribution of the stream. i

In the preferred practical form of the invention, the nozzle is mounted il'oroscillation upon the forward end ci' a hollow barrel to the after end of which a. lire hose is coupled. The barrel is mounted upon suitable clamping means adapted to engage a window sill, doorway or other part otra building to securely vmount the device in place thereon.

Associated with the barrel is a member adapted to be rotated by the passage oi water through the barrel and this member is operatively connected to the nozzle and forms` a prime mover for ei'liecting oscillatory movement of the nozzle. I lind it con venient to employ a water wheel for this purpose and connect the water wheel through a crank movement to one arm of a bell crank, the other arm oit which is secured. to thenozzle and the elbow oit which crank is secured. by a stationary pivot to the barrel. Thus, as water tlows through the barrel and rotates the water wheel, the crank movement results in oscillatory movement ot the bell crank, which, in turn, effects an oscillatory movement of the nozzle. The nozale may be associated with the barrel in an)7 suitable manner, but it is found in practice that a ball and socket joint connection will function with high eliiciency.

It is preferred, moreover, to so mount the barrel upon the clamp as to permit of rotation oi the barrel upon its longitudinal axis and also i'or tilting` movement with respect to the clamp, whereby the structure may be mounted on either a horizontal or vertical support and will provide tor maximum distribution ot the water.

Features of the invention, other than those specified, will be apparent from the hereina'ifter detailed description and claims, when read in conjunction with the accompanyingl drawings. i

The accompanying drawings illustrate one practical embodiment ci the invention, but the construction therein shown is to be undertood as illustrative, only, and not as de- `ining the limits ot the invention.

Figure l is a side elevation of atire iighting. appliance embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the structure ot Figure l, this section being `taken on the line 2 2 ot' Figure.

Figure 3 a plan view oi.z the construction ot Figure l; and,

Figure -l is a. transverse section taken on the line l4-ll ol Figure 8.

Referring to the drawings, l designates a suitable supporting bed formed in one side with a pair of rigid clamping jaws 2. The bed is provided with a longitudinal slideway 3 into which extends the tongue 4 of a movable clamping jaw 5. The tongue is adapted for longitudinal adjustment within the slideway and may be locked in any desired position by means of a thumb screw 6. rllhe jaw 5 is litted over a threaded shank 6a on the tongue and a tapped handle 7 is screwed on to the threaded shank and is adapted to operate directly against the movable awv 5. By this arrangement, the supporting bed 1 may be readily and expeditiously secured to a window sill, shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. Variations in the widths of window sills is compensated for by proper adjustment of the tongue 4 when the set screw 6 is loosened. During this adjustment, the handle 7 should be backed off from the tongue 5, but

alter the adjustment of the tongue 4 has been accomplished and the thumb screw 6 tightened the handle may then be screwed up against the movable jaw to tightly grip the window sill. These operations may be speedily accomplished and 'serve to mount the bed plate rigidly upon the window sill or upon the side of a. doorway or on any other suitable and convenient support. If desired, the clamping means associated with the supporting plate 1 may be of any other suitable form and may be adapted to clamp on to a pipe. rlhe fundamental requisite is that the supporting bed be readily attachable to some fixed part of a building in order to form a lirm support for the operating parts superimposed thereon.

Mounted liXedly upon the suport 1 is a bracket 8 through which is passed a spindle 9 and to the opposite ends of this spindle are secured yokes 10. These yokes carry two split rings or collars 11, which encircle and support a barrel 12, as shown best in Figures 1 and 2. The rings lit loosely around the barrel so that the barrel is free for rotation on its longitudinal aXis and may be adjusted manually in any suitable manner. A thumb screw my be associated with one of the rings to lock the barrel against inadvertent rotation. As shown in the drawings, the barrel is substantially cylindrical. It is provided atits rearv end with a threaded boss `13 adapted to receive the coupling 14 of the fire hose 15.

At its forward end, the barrel is formed with )a club-like portion 16, with which the nozzle 17 cooperates. From Figure 2, it will be noted that the base of the nozzle is formed with` a substantially semi-spherical portion 18 positioned within the globular portion 16 and cooperating therewith after the manner of a ball and socket joint, so as to permit the nozzle to be oscillated with respect to the barrel without appreciable leakage of the joint between the barrel and nozzle. In practice, this joint may be ground, so that the parts will slide smoothly with respect to one another and without undue leakage. The pressure of the water will assist in maintaining a tight joint at this point.

The top of the barrel is formed with an elongated slot 19 and juxtaposed with this slot is a water wheel chamber 20 secured to the barrel by means of screws 21. A water wheel 22 is positioned within the chamber and extends through the slot 21 into the interior of the barrel and into the path ol" water llowing therethrough whereby the llow ot' water results in rotation of the water wheel. The water wheel is mounted on the shaft 23 which extends through one side wall of t-he water wheel chamber and carries a crank 24. This crank is connected by means of a pitman 25 to one arm 26 ol a hell crank, the other arm 27 of which is pivoted to a bracket 28 secured to the nozzle. The bell crank is pivoted at its elbow on a thumb screw 29 which threads into the barrel or into a bearing plug associated therewith, so that the thumb screw 29 constitutes a fixed pivot for the bell crank.

It will thus appear that when water is llowing through the barrel to the nozzle to be discharged trom the latter, the liow ol' such water will operate the water wheel to bring about oscillatory movement of the nozze through the operative connections described and this oscillatory movement ol the nozzle which is obviously entirely autolnatic will cause a-stream ot' water liowing from the nozzle to be discharged in constantly varying directions, so as to give ay maximum distribution otl such water.

lVhen the appliance is associated with a horizontal window sill, the parts will be positioned as substantially shown in Figure 1 and the barrel will be precluded from tilting on the spindle 9 by means of a detent 30. This detent is mounted on a bracket 31 cured to the support-ing plate and is adapted for pivotal movement. One end of the detent extends outwardly from the bracket and forms a Enger piece 32, while the other end extends inwardly from the bracket and forms a locking linger which is adapted to cooperate with notches 34 formed in an arcuate portion 35 of one of the yokes 10. A spring 36 is coiled around the pivot ot the detent and normally forces the locking linger into engagement with one of the notches 34. lVhen it is desired to change the inclination of the barrel, the linger piece 32 is depressed to lift the locking linger from engagement with the notches and after the barrel has been adjusted to the desired inclination the finger piece is released to permit the locking linger to engage with a contiguous notch, whereupon the barrel is again locked aga-inst inadvertent tilting movement.

It will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description that the present invention embodies many features of novelty over prior fighting apparatus. The appliance may be readily attached to a tire hose fed from a high pressure main or from the fire engine and is sufliciently light to be easily carried up a ladder to be attached to a window, doorway or other part of the building. I wish to call particular attention to the fact that the water has a substantially straight-through passage through the ap pliance and is not required to turn sharp corners or to appreciably change direction during such passage.

Experience has shown that where the water is required to turn sharp corners, the pressure is materially decrased and the ability to throw a stream is pronouncedly less than when a straight-through passage is provided. As a matter of fact, if the device was so constructed that the water had to turn relatively sharp corners or change direction at relatively sharp angles, the device would be practically useless for the purposes specified. Actual experience has proven this to be a fact.

Attention is further called to the fact that the water wheel does not extend to any appreciable distance into the barrel and consequently into the flow of the water and does not therefore seriously interfere with the passage of such water. In other words, the water has a substantially uninterrupted flow through the device and the paddle wheel is positioned oilI to one side, so as not to interrupt this flow. No great amount of power is required 'to operate the water wheel, and, in practice, it affords very little if any retardation of the current.

The device may be expeditiously and easily niounted on a part of a building by the manipulation of a handle and thumb screw and will be firmly held in place when thus attached. The inclination of the barrel may be expeditiously adjusted by the detent 3() as described and the barrel may be rotated within the collars ll as circumstances may require.

Ordinarily the thumb screw 29 is sufciently loose to permit oscillation of the nozzle under the impulse of the water wheel, although if it is desired to lock the nozzle against oscillation, the thumb screw 29 may be screwed down tight and will produce sufficient friction between the bell crank and the barrel to preclude movement of the noz zle by the water wheel.. The device is simple in construction, may be economically manufactured, is relatively light and thoroughly efficient in the carrying out of its intended functions.

In the foregoing detailed description, I have described the preferred embodiment of the invention. I wish it understood, however, that other forms of supporting base and clamp may be employed without depart ing from this invention.. Other mechanical changes will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the foregoing detailed description and the invention is therefore to be understood as fully commensurate with tho appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a fire lighting apparatus, a hollow casing provided with a water inlet, a water' wheel projecting into the casing and adapted to be rotated by water passing through the casing, a nozzle flexibly connected with said casing and axially aligned therewith, and .means connecting said water wheel and nozzle for imparting oscillations to the nozzle.

2. In a lire fighting apparatus, a hollow casing provided with a water inlet, a water wheel project-ing into the casing and adapted to be rotated by water passing through the casing, a nozzle flexibly connected with said casing and axially aligned therewith, means connecting said water wheel and nozzle for imparting oscillations to said nozzle, and means for supporting said casing in adjustable positions.

3. In a lire lighting apparatus, a hollow casing provided with a water inlet, a vater wheel projecting into the :asing and adapted to be rotated by water passing through lthe casing, a nozzle flexibly connected with said casing and axially aligned therewith` means connecting said water wheel and nozzle, for imparting oscillations to said nozzle, means for supporting said casi ng in adustable positions, said connecting means comprising bell crank and lever connections between the water wheel and nozzle.

In testimony whereof "l have signed the foregoing specification.

JOHN T. MULROY.

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